Nowadays it is really important to make sure that the future of the world (children) be tightly close to God ... If it is not taught in schools maybe some children are more likely to be bad people in a nearer future. We need to save our closeness with religion in order to be who we are.

All parts of our history, and culture must be taught. Schools can not teach kids THEIR point of view... They have to teach kids in an open minded way, allowing them to encounter all aspects of life. Teaching them about the different religions (Say maybe Religion I, Religion II, Advanced Religion classes) will encourage Acceptance, as only teaching the Big Bang and Evolution makes child less likely to accept religious people.. And fact, they look at religious as idiots and freaks (don't try to argue that. They do.)

Teaching them about different cultures and religions are important to encouraging them to learn new ideas and not just one point of view, and teaches true tolerance and acceptance (say, towards Muslims.)

It has been my belief that ANYTHING pertaining to the origin of existence should be strictly an elective in school. This is because we are supposed to be teaching children facts, and facts only. However, regardless of the evolution theory's ever changing nature, it is still being taught in school as factual. Parents of all different beliefs should feel comfortable sending their children to public school without worrying that they will be influenced by these teachings. If you're going to require my children to learn that we essentially came from fish, then it's only fair that your children have to learn about God.

Right off the bat many people would have issues with this kind of question but the 1st Amendment doesn't denounce this kind of idea. I'll go through all the points that those on the "no" side present.

What if we have a "Culture class" that teaches ALL forms of religion in some way shape or form, you learn about the Bible, about Buddhism, about the most general beliefs of Agnostics and Deists and Atheists. Stuff like this can help kids learn to be more accepting towards different beliefs and stop a lot of needless arguments.

As for the 1st, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;" <-- Basically so long as we don't put one establishment above or below any others we won't be infringing upon anyone's rights of free religious exercise.

Though to various degrees we already do that by making the THEORY of Evolution a mandatory lesson and ignoring other possible ways we came about. That is UNCONSTITUTIONAL because of the fact that we have no 100% proof that the theory is true, we have some evidence but there are arguments against the theory like here...--->http://www.Icr.Org/home/resources/resources_tracts_scientificcaseagainstevolution/<---it's because of this that we can't make the theory a mandatory lesson, unless we want to teach other beliefs with it. Which is what the "Culture class" can do so each belief system is equally respected.

I think that they should. Do it with as much subtlety as possible. If you shove the religion down their throats, then they won't want to continue on throughout the rest of their life. Just like vegetables: If you're forced to have them as a child, you won't like them as an adult. Same goes for religion. Whilst do agree with the people saying that "Our children have a choice", I think that if the teachers do it in a very subtle fashion, the children will grow to like it.

I think kids should be briefly taught about the basics of some religion (e.G. Christians worship God and Jesus, Muslims worship Allah and Muhammed, Jews worship Moses, Hindus believe in reincarnation and karma, etc.), so that they know about the world and society. But we should not teach religion as if it is fact, but rather that it is just what some people believe in. For example, we can't tell students "Jesus died for you and if you don't worship him, you're going to hell!" or "If you aren't a good person in this life, you'll be less worthy in your next one!". Because kids have their own personal beliefs that need to be respected.

I'm a Christian and I do believe that it can, that is if students are allowed to choose. For example, look at Methodist College Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Though it's a Christian college, it offers programs that other good colleges in Malaysia offer such as A-Levels, AUSMAT, CAT. Participating in Christian activities is optional to the students. There are non Christians who go to that college as well.

Religion is relevant in everyone's lives.

Religion is relevant in everyone's lives whether they practice it or not. Many events in history were guided by religion, and should be a factor when teaching history. In civics, students should also be aware of the role religion played in the framing of the Constitution. In political science, we see religion as a basis of many hot-button issues.

As long as it's not indoctrinating.

I'm an atheist, but I think the religion scheme in the UK is brilliant. Very informative, but also objective to the best of our abilities. If religion isn't taught, we'll all be largely ignorant of other religions such as Islam, or Judaism.

Yes it should

In my country (Australia) religion is taught in schools but parents have the option to have their child not attend these classes, and it is very beneficial for the kids.

With so many people in society being obsessed with consumerism parents and churches don't have the chance to teach kids these important lessons any more.

This is the most important part of their education, what they learn in most lessons will give them a future only for their mortal lives. What they learn in religion will give them a future for all of eternity.

Even aside from the religious side the study of the bible is also a very important study of history. The bible teaches us about the development of people and how they thought.

I do not believe that a school is a place that children should have religion shoved down their throats. A school is a place to learn about writing and reading and science and numbers. If families want their children to know religion, they can teach them at home. Not schools.

Each person's religion should be their own personal choice, not the choice of the majority of their neighbors. Ask yourself how you would feel if a majority of your school board became Muslims? What if they started teaching your children a different religion from your own?

Even more importantly, we shouldn't be teaching children religion at all. They shouldn't receive any religious instruction until they are at least 16. Let's teach our children HOW to think, not WHAT to think.

Our Constitution also prohibits the endorsement of any religion by a public institution. The only way religion can be taught in a public school is if it is a comparative religion course in which none of the religions are endorsed as correct or desirable, and all are covered- and the course must be an elective not required.

If a parent wants religion taught in school, they should send their kids to private religious schools. There are plenty.

Who is right?

There are many religions in the world. Although it is okay to teach about religions in history classes, there shouldn't be prayer in school. Religion is like the werewolf. Once it's forced on you by another "werewolf" (religious person), you begin to become oblivious and want others to convert, even though you are really going through needless suffering.

Imagine in science class being told about creation, instead of evolution.

No way !

Of course not. Why waste time teaching children religion, when you could be learning something to help your future? For ex. Blabla bla believe in God!!!! Bla bla! Or: teach them MATH which can help them survive instead of them being hobos on the street sayin God bless you! If schools teach religion, it will obviously be Christianity. How about the Buddhists, Islamics, Muslims, and other religions in the world.Remember, not everyone believes in God!I really don't like how Christianity always forces people to join. Buddhism says its your choice and that you don't have to.

It divides us

From the time, religion came in picture it has divided us in sects and classes. If we start teaching religion in schools then it will develop divided mentality in students from the foundation only. If religion staerted to be taught in schools then secularism and unity feeling in students will demolish. So i stand on negative side.

Religion shouldn't be taught in school

Students are too young to have clear judgement in what's wrong and what's right. Even though believing different religion can't be divided into good, and bad, it does influence your whole life(like the way you live) , which means that you need to select it very carefully. But if the schools teach religion to students, they might be brainwashed that only a certain religion is the good one and you need to believe it. The young minds doesn't know whether if it is really good or bad to him or her so will just believe what they have been taught. So they might be forced to believe even though they don't want to, and have wrong angle of seeing things

Children learn religion in Sunday School/church school, government schools must be secular

The government is and should stay secular, and schools are an extension of the government. I'm not opposed to the idea that all religions AND belief systems be taught in an elective, but for one specific religion or say only the monotheistic religions or they don't teach about non theistic belief systems, that's frustrating. If parents want their child to learn about religion in school, send them to a private religious school.

Religion only means discrimination

On the contrary, a brief perusal of the survey indicated that, in addition to the 49 per cent who answered a straightforward “yes’ to a question about whether they taught religion willingly, a further 10.2 per cent said they would teach a broad religious education willingly but would prefer to teach religious instruction in a particular faith. An additional 20 per cent said they were not opposed to teaching religion. In fact, just 7.7 per cent of the respondents said they’d prefer not to teach religion, and 2.2 per cent said they would like to opt out of teaching it, fewer than half the number indicating this desire in the last previous survey in 2002. Every day, these outwardly subtle tweaks and distortions of the actuality become self-fulfilling ordinances, gradually sucking the spiritual life out of our culture.

Freedom of Choice

By propagating religious teachings in schools, the school is denying the child of the Right to Choose their own Religion. A child who is constantly forced to be educated in, learn about, ans maybebeven propagate any single religion loses the chance to thinkk objectively about all religions and make his/her own choice. Making schools religion oriented is nothing short of brain washing and only seeks to advance ones own religion. It is barbaric and hypocritical. Just as a follower of, say, Christianity would not want to be taught about, say, Hinduism in their school, similarly a follower of any other religion would not appreciate being forced into learning about Christianity. Thus something as important as Education should stay away from the overly contradictory concept of religion.

The first amendment clearly states that the federal government cannot enact legislation to condone a religion nor deny one's practice. If it were taught, then the merits of all religions, their moral teachings, and their histories should be taught in a more scholarly, objective, and academically focused sense. The first amendment was not meant to protect the majority of Christians n the classroom (since Christianity is predominant in the more developed world), but for the handful of atheists or other religions in that classroom. Their rights cannot be marginalized nor can they be forced to adopt a particular religion unless it is their choice to do so.

In brief, teach all and respect the entire student body, or teach none in any and all public institutions.Private institutions that are religiously based or religiously neutral should be exempt.

I agree that Religion should be taught, but as General Religion, non-specific education which covers all religious teachings and practices, so students get an idea of how religions in general view the world and why there are religious differences.I think this is the only way to breed religious tolerance into a society and to level out the playing field (secularism).Secularism does not equate to Atheism, it is simply producing a level playing field for all belief systems.Currently Christianity is upset at such moves to equalize it with all other religions, this is why Christians are claiming persecution.Because they want the nation to stay a Christian nation, instead of a Nation where all religions are equal.This can be changed through education where students learn that religions all essentially have the same basic concepts and morality.Buddhism had most of Christian morality down pat, centuries before Jesus existed.If Jesus was preaching in India, they would just consider him another Buddhist monk, and nothing special.